Your Sunday Times highlights for this week

Read this week's Sunday Times for your interesting articles including the "5th Column".

Among tomorrow's articles are:

- Dispute deepens; fuel crisis looms 

- Crackdown on deserters to include rehabilitation programmes too, says MoD

- Tax net cast on Sri Lankan professionals, freelancers earning forex for services

- UN Human Rights chief to present oral update on Lanka today

- Mission possible: SLAF takes to the skies with rightsising, modernising

The 5th Column's full text is as follows; 

My dear Tilvin sahodaraya,

I thought of writing to you now, though I know you are very much a ‘behind-the-scenes’ person who was content to stay away from the limelight even when the rathu sahodarayas finally came to power after nearly six decades of struggling against the Greens and Blues who were in charge until then.

You are not in Parliament and only the general secretary of the rathu sahodarayas, and a nobody in the ‘maalimaawa’ which is, theoretically at least, the party in charge. However we do know that you still wield a lot of clout. Isn’t that why even Anura sahodaraya calls you ‘loku aiya’ or big brother?

So, I wanted to write to you to let you know that whenever your ‘maalimaawa’ representatives speak, they seem to have the talent of making a big mess out of it embarrassing Anura sahodaraya and the government. You should either shut them up or organise some ‘tuition’ for them, Tilvin sahodaraya.

Of course, every pack has a joker. At least initially we thought that title went to Wasantha, with his periodic pronouncements about how he would ‘defeat the rice mafia’. He is still trying his best but now he seems to be having some serious competition, which is why you should do something quickly.

Nilanthi from Kalutara was the first to attract attention saying that a ‘maalimaawa’ government would bring back stolen dollars stashed away in Uganda. When Namal baby challenged her to do so and implied that if she couldn’t, she would be lying, she said she didn’t quite mean exactly that.

Nilanthi then said anyone has a right to state a lie as if it was a truth, whatever that meant. Then she was reported as saying the ‘party’ asked her not to speak to the media- and then denied saying it. My advice to you, Tilvin sahodaraya, please ask her not to speak to media, if you haven’t done so already.

We then saw Harshana, the man in charge of justice and lawyer to boot, emerging from a three-hour meeting with Anura sahodaraya and Junior about the late Lasantha’s case and telling media that ‘nothing important was discussed’. Maybe they talked of the weather and the big match season!   

Then, just a few days ago, we heard Lakmali on a talk show getting into an argument with Ajith from the telephone party. True, Ajith was playing the big, bad bully but Lakmali’s answer when posed with a tricky question was ‘No, I won’t tell you’. Are your parliamentarians following in SB’s footsteps?

If Lakmali wasn’t confident enough, we saw Army Aruna being overconfident. He told us during the campaign that ensuring national security was a piece of cake for him and if anyone needed lessons on it, they should bring a desk and chair and he would gladly provide tuition on the subject.

With underworld killings in packed courthouses occurring in broad daylight, followed by a spate of other incidents, Army Aruna has to be careful about what he says in the future. After all, he told us that he ‘knew about Yo baby’s arrest the night before but didn’t talk about it’. What does that reveal?

Army Aruna was not the only one to suffer from the courthouse incident. Ananda Wijey, entrusted with Public Security tells us it was an ‘isolated incident’. With crimes in Middeniya, Crow Island and Minuwangoda, that is a lot of ‘isolated’ incidents! Now his Police force is looking for an isolated IGP!

The incident at Crow Island, where police shot dead two suspects while ‘they were being taken to reveal a cache of weapons’ brings back old memories. Remember how Anura sahodaraya used to ridicule this story while campaigning, saying the Police couldn’t even produce a decent script!  

After the crow Island shooting people are asking whether nothing has changed because we were used to such stories under previous leaders. Under the ‘maalimaawa’, we expect outrage and immediate action against those allegedly involved. We saw nothing of that sort. Or is it that nothing has changed?

Then, last week we heard Hewage make a big noise in Parliament about Rohini allegedly changing her surname. Everyone was aware that no such thing happened, so what Hewage hoped to gain from that is a mystery to me. With friends like these, Tilvin sahodaraya, you don’t need any enemies.

It was heartening to see other ladies from your side such as Harini and Kaushalya reassure Rohini by condemning Hewage’s words and apologising. Nalinda also did the same and his job, in addition to serving his ministry and being Cabinet spokesman, is to apologise on everyone else’s behalf.

You must realise, Tilvin sahodaraya, that your MPs, deputy ministers and even some ministers haven’t learnt the art of communication while in government. That maybe why Uncle Ranil called you ‘inexperienced’. Teach them quickly. Careless talk can cost you votes- and there is an election soon.

Yours truly,

Punchi Putha

PS- Perhaps the biggest blunder was committed by Sunil while visiting the courts soon after that killing. Calling his driver, he was asking, “where are you, donkey?”. Now, people wonder whether ‘booruwa’ is a term of endearment in the ‘maalimaawa’, especially as you consider everyone equal?